Maren Morris Shades Tucker Carlson At The GLAAD Media Awards
"I don’t want to gloat. I would never insult the recently unemployed.”
At the prestigious 2023 GLAAD Media Awards, Maren Morris was rightfully celebrated as she received the distinguished Excellence in Media Award. Stepping up to the podium, the singer-songwriter embraced the moment, sharing her journey and candidly recalling her clash with Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News star and shading him in the process.
“Fine, maybe I felt a little badass taking Tucker Carlson’s calling me a lunatic for standing up to transphobia, turning it into a T-shirt and raising $150,000 for LGBTQ+ charities, yeah,” Morris stated during her time at the mic, adding, “That made me feel a little cool, but I don’t want to gloat. I would never insult the recently unemployed.” Her comments were met with applause and then laughter, as she was clearly surrounded by supporters and friends.
During her speech, Morris also expressed her deep admiration and support for the LGBTQ+ community. With humility, she emphasized that while she feels compelled to speak out against transphobia, suggesting that credit should not be attributed to her alone. Instead, she highlighted the bravery of trans people everywhere.
“I have heard countless times over the years that I’m one of the brave voices in country music but that is not true,” she insisted. “Making the right decision shouldn’t take bravery or courage. It shouldn’t take heroic effort to want basic equal rights for everybody.”
She went on to highlight her privilege, saying, “I’m a straight white woman — I’m fine,” before adding, “But leaving your house knowing you can face violence just for being who you are, risking your life just for walking down the street, that is bravery.”
Morris’ beef with Carlson started in September 2022, when she became embroiled in a feud with social media influencer Brittany Aldean, who happens to be married to fellow country singer Jason Aldean. Morris confronted her over a transphobic post shared by Brittany. This disagreement caught the attention of Carlson, who provided Brittany a platform to express her views, leading both Carlson and Brittany to take aim at Morris, labeling her as a “lunatic.”
Instead of being deterred, these derogatory remarks only served to strengthen Morris’s resolve to stand up against intolerance. She used the phrase and put it on merchandise, which she sold and donated the proceeds to charities benefitting the LGBTQ community as a way to stick it to both Carlson and Brittany.
Morris also didn’t miss a chance to poke fun at the former cable news host, who was recently fired by Fox, his longtime home.
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